Copycat Vegan Baileys

Since Diageo discontinued Baileys Almande, also known as the vegan Baileys, in 2021, your only chance to enjoy it is to make it at home with this quick and easy recipe. All you need to do is mix Irish whiskey, coffee, almond milk, cane sugar, and a bit of vanilla and cocoa powder. It is better than the original. Look at the comments. 

It’s Emese, and I love Baileys! I don’t drink much alcohol, but if I had to choose just one of all alcoholic drinks, I would select Baileys. I even toasted with it at our wedding. 🙂 Also, my husband explicitly asked me to mention that he strongly prefers wine or beer. 🙂

Is Baileys vegan?

The original Baileys is digestive to serve before dinner or toast with. It is one of the most popular spirits in Europe. It has many variations, including limited edition flavors, but sadly none of them are vegan. 

In 2017, Diageo saw a potential demand and created Baileys Almande, its first and only vegan product. Sadly, vegan Baileys was only on the market until 2021. Now, you either find a similar brand like Besos de Oro or Horchata or make a homemade version.  

Diageo did not disclose the complete list of ingredients either on the packaging or on its website. They only say that Almande Liquor is gluten- and dairy-free but may contain soy. We only know some of its ingredients:

• Real almond milk, which is made of sweet almond oil and almond essence (extracted from crushed almonds)
• Cane sugar
• Purified water
• Real vanilla
• Coffee, and
• Irish whiskey

If you are debating whether you need homemade vegan Baileys in your life, these are the reasons you should consider:

1. Discontinued – It was pretty pricey, so it was cheaper to make at home than buy. But since it is not available anymore, the purchase price is not an issue per se. 
2. Bad reviews – Many people love it, but the reviews were not very flattering. People were talking about experiencing a bitter aftertaste (which may be due to the almond essence). They also said that it tasted artificial. Some found the smell off-putting.
3. Homemade vs. Store-bought beverages – When making anything at home, you will know exactly what you put in it. 

Ingredients

We developed this recipe to create the best copycat vegan Irish cream liquor. The comments tell us that we succeeded.

• Almond milk
• Jameson Irish whiskey
• Espresso (strong to medium)
• Cane sugar – Because it is also the sweetener used for Baileys Almande. You can also use coconut sugar, which adds a nice caramel flavor. It will be subtle but delicious indeed.
• Cocoa powder – Because The Original Baileys Irish Cream contains chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla extract

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Make a strong-quality coffee

We have a neat little Nespresso Citiz & Milk machine*, which we bought after our first daughter was born. We are still loving it. For this recipe, we made an espresso using a Nespresso capsule called Arpeggio*. It has a strong to medium intensity.

Blend to make vegan Baileys

It is only one step. You can use a whisk and stir it until the sugar dissolves. But I prefer to add all ingredients to a blender and mix them thoroughly. You don’t need a high-powered blender like Vitamix since there are no hard ingredients like ice. 2 minutes, and you are ready.

How to drink it

This vegan Irish cream liqueur is best served on the rocks. 🙂

I found these lovely heart-shaped chocolate molds* to make cranberry jelly. But aren’t they also perfect for ice cubes? My glass got a tiny bit more awesome.

If you like to mix it up, you can add this homemade vegan version to other drinks like:

• Coffee-based drinks, e.g., iced coffee, hot coffee, or latte macchiato
• Other beverages, e.g., chai latte, milkshake, or hot chocolate
• Cocktails, e.g., Eggnog, Mudslide, Martini, B-52, or Jello Shots

Here is a list of cocktails and mocktails using Baileys. Sadly, only some of them are vegan, but it is an excellent start to getting inspired.

FAQs and substitutions

Can you use other dairy-free milk?

• Cashew milk – Almond milk can have a more pungent, nutty taste than cashew milk. If you want to tone it down, use this homemade cashew milk recipe.
• Full-fat coconut milk – It could be a substitute for adding a more decadent creaminess like heavy cream. If you use that in combination with nut milk, boil it before adding the alcohol. Otherwise, the full-fat coconut cream will solidify when you put it in the fridge and can compromise the texture. It would be best to double the vanilla extract to overpower the coconut taste.
• Soy milk – You can also try soy milk, which is not as thin as nut milk. I’m not too fond of the taste, but it can be an alternative for you.

How long does it last?

Keep it in the fridge for around 4-5 days, a maximum of a week.

What kind of coffee should you use?

You can use any other cold-brewed, capsule coffee or instant espresso powder. But choose at least a medium one in intensity. Otherwise, you might not be able to taste the coffee.

Allergen info

This Vegan Baileys recipe is dairy-free and egg-free.

• Vegan – All suggested ingredients are supposed to be vegan.
• Nut-free – You can use soy milk or oat milk if you need this recipe to be nut-free. It may alter the taste. All other ingredients are supposed to be nut-free, but always check the packaging before using any ingredient.
• WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) – As far as I know, alcohol is not compliant with this diet.
• Gluten-free – All proposed ingredients are supposed to be gluten-free, but always check the packaging for cross-contamination info. According to Beyond Celiac, whiskeys are safe to drink for people diagnosed with celiac, as the distilling process removes any gluten. However, I read on several websites that it might not be gluten-free for the following reasons. First, distilleries might add back some “mash” after the distillation has finished. Second, they can use a wheat-based glue to seal the barrels. Third, there might be some caramel coloring or other added flavor that might contain gluten. So proceed with caution and check with the manufacturer.
• Soy-free – All suggested ingredients are supposed to be soy-free.

Want some cookies with it?

We have numerous vegan cookie recipes you might enjoy with homemade vegan Baileys.

UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in Feb 2019, but it was rewritten and republished in Oct 2022.